On pro basketball.

In The Long Term, Trade Fits Well Into Bulls Plans

February 17, 2000|By Sam Smith.

There are plenty of delicious subplots in the Bulls' trade of Toni Kukoc to Philadelphia.

There is the Phil Jackson act.

Jackson wanted his Lakers to trade for Kukoc, which one could understand after watching Glen Rice sleepwalk through three quarters of Tuesday's Lakers victory over the Bulls and sit on the bench in the fourth.

The Lakers offered Rice, but the Bulls weren't interested because they couldn't deal Rice to another team.

And then there's the strong possibility that the No. 1 pick that should have been Michael Jordan's first in Washington--perhaps DePaul's Quentin Richardson, Cincinnati's DerMarr Johnson or high school phenoms Darius Miles or Gerald Wallace--could be running around in a Bulls uniform next season.

Of course, if the No. 1 pick the Bulls obtained along with John Starks and Bruce Bowen in the Kukoc deal happens to be in the top three, the Wizards would keep it.

Which is why the biggest day for the Bulls the rest of this season is May 21, the date of the NBA draft lottery.

And for you conspiracy theorists, wouldn't that be an ideal time for NBA Commissioner David Stern to, well, arrange for Jordan's Wizards get the No. 1 pick. Jordan isn't going to be able to get rid of his high-salaried, low-achieving players. So what better way to prop up the franchise and keep Jordan's interest?

Just asking.

And to get back at the franchise that seemed a little cocky about its success for so long?

Just wondering again.

And then there's the chance of Kukoc returning to the Bulls.

It was W.C. Fields who said on the whole, he'd rather be in Philadelphia. But that was compared with being dead.

The City Not Even a Brother Could Love doesn't rank ahead of much else.

And if Kukoc thought it was tough getting a shot with Jordan, wait until he sees what it's like to play with Allen Iverson.

The Bulls now have about $13 million committed to salaries next season, with the salary cap expected to be about $36 million. With salaries figured in for first-round draft picks, that leaves the Bulls about $18 million under, good enough to sign two free agents to maximum-salary contracts.

If the Bulls don't make a big hit in the free-agent market, the No. 1 draft pick is also insurance in case the team has to go to Plan C or D and build through the draft. Then the Bulls will have at least two or three first-round picks this year and one or two next year, with second-round picks of their own and Vancouver's.

It's why the trade fits best with the Bulls' long-term plans and prospects.

Also, by getting Kukoc off the team for the remainder of the season, and perhaps Starks as well before the trading deadline next week, the Bulls, without resorting to dumping games, have given coach Tim Floyd a weaker hand to play. That probably ensures the Bulls will have the league's worst record--though no chance at the worst ever--and the best chance at getting the No. 1 draft pick again in the lottery.

Cincinnati shot-blocker Kenyon Martin and Texas center Chris Mihm are considered the top players in the draft, with a fairly large dropoff after them. Kukoc, though still an excellent player, hardly figures to be in the Bulls' long-term plans. But with his attachment to Chicago, he'd be nice to have back as an inexpensive free agent.

Still, the question must be asked: Could the Bulls could have done better?

They had an offer for Rice, who wants a salary of more than $10 million and who will be 33 in May. The interesting prospect was the 76ers' Larry Hughes, an athletic 6-5 guard from St. Louis University who had fallen out of favor with the 76ers. The Bulls were close to making a deal for Hughes earlier this season as the 76ers expressed on-and-off interest in Kukoc.

But the Bulls didn't want to accept Billy Owens' long-term deal, which would have reduced their free-agent flexibility. Plus Hughes' play has fallen off dramatically in recent weeks, raising questions about his work habits and his commitment.

The Bulls, with ample salary-cap room after the season, believed it was more valuable to obtain the solid asset of a No. 1 pick than risk trading for a potential free agent such as Mercer or McGrady and see that player leave after playing a few months with a losing team.

Ten years after acquiring Kukoc with a second-round pick, the Bulls traded him for a first-round pick. Yes, it was worth all the fuss.